


Recovery

by Etagirl



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Coffee Dad Sakura Sojiro, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Interrogation, Mild shipping, Non-Consensual Drug Use, PTSD, Poor Ren, mild romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-12-07 09:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18233174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etagirl/pseuds/Etagirl
Summary: A hurt/comfort fanfic showcasing the aftermath of Joker's interrogation. Mild shipping between Persona 5 Protagonist and every other romanceable character (so basically all the ladies, lol). Lots of friendship and Daddy!Sojiro fluff. References to torture and PTSD. This is my first P5 fanfic as well as my first fanfic to this website so I hope you like it! This was inspired by a couple of other P5 fanfics on here I like! Slight AU(?) since the Phantom Thieves are helping to take care of Ren instead of only seeing him after he's somewhat recovered.





	1. I am thou, thou art I

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Home Safe](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18198680) by [sshootingstarr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sshootingstarr/pseuds/sshootingstarr). 



Whoosh!  
A bucket of water was thrown in Ren’s face. He coughed and sputtered, slowly opening his eyes.  
“No dozing off!” a man wearing a business suit yelled.  
Where was he? Ren couldn’t remember. He felt so tired. And why was he cuffed to this chair? Who were these intimidating men before him? His whole body was sore, and he had a vague recollection of getting beaten. Instinctively, Ren tried to wriggle free of the handcuffs.  
“You still don’t get it, do ya? Give it up!” the man kicked Ren’s chair.  
This send the already battered and bruised boy sprawling. He grunted as the cold hard cement floor reminded him of where he was: an interrogation room.  
The same man walked over and pressed a shoe to his head, “Come on, cooperate! Or what, do you want another shot?”  
Ah, that’s right, they injected him with... something. That’s why he was having trouble remembering! That’s why he felt so listless and weak! Ren glanced up at the security camera. He wasn’t sure why, but it felt important.  
“Huh? What about the camera?” He removed his foot and bent down, grabbing Ren by the hair. “You thinking it can be used as video evidence? Hmph, you still haven’t figured it out? There are no laws here that will protect criminals like you!”  
He slammed Ren into the ground and kicked him square in the gut. Ren coughed and wheezed, trying to catch his breath. A wave of pain and nausea washed over him. He cautiously opened his eyes, looking up at the three interrogators. One walked over and uncuffed him. Then the apparent leader walked towards him, holding something pointy-looking. What was it? A syringe? Was he going to get another shot?  
Ren shuddered in anticipation. He couldn’t tell without his glasses. His vision was decent, but somewhat lacking when it came to seeing faraway objects. Plus, the drugs were also messing with his ability to see. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself. The man drew closer. Ren’s heart pounded. At last, the man… kneeled down? It turned out the object he was holding was not a syringe, but a pen. Ren breathed a sigh of relief.  
The man held out a clipboard, “Sign here. It’s a confession under your name.”  
Ren stared. What was he even signing? A confession? But he didn’t do anything! At least… he didn’t think he did anything. He pushed the clipboard away, refusing to sign it. This enraged his interrogator.  
“I see… I need your hand to sign this but…” The man suddenly stomped on Ren’s leg.  
“Nngh!” Ren cried out.  
“I don’t care if you end up losing a leg!”  
“I- I understand…” Ren clenched his teeth. The interrogator removed his foot and handed him the clipboard. Then he leaned in close, so close that Ren could feel his breath. It was hot, almost as though the man were literally spitting flames, and an uncomfortable sensation for the teenager.  
The man held out the pen, “Don’t expect to walk out of here in one piece. We’re going to make you understand… One must take full responsibility for their actions.”

\- - - - 

Once Ren had finally finished relating his story, once Sae showed the phone to Akechi and tricked him into thinking that he killed the real Joker, Sae returned to the interrogation room, as per Alibaba’s instructions. She was told to get Ren out of there and take him to Leblanc.  
“Niijima-san?” the security guard stared at Sae.  
“Leave,” she commanded.  
“I beg your pardon?”  
“Your job here is finished. Akechi sent me. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the body, so just go home.Good work.”  
The guard gave her a small nod and left.  
“Heh, well, what do you know? Pretending to be apart of their little cabal worked,” Sae chuckled under her breath.  
She turned the door handle and entered the interrogation room. The leader of the Phantom Thieves sat there, arms crossed, very much alive and looking rather pleased with himself.  
“So, you’re still alive,” she murmured, still not quite believing it herself.  
Ren nodded and slightly smiled. He was dead-tired. His eyes were glazed and weary, yet somehow he still managed to retain a slight air of defiance.  
Sae smiled back, “Come on, let’s get you home.”

\- - 

Sojiro simply stared at the television in disbelief. No, there was no way. Ren couldn’t be dead, he just couldn’t be!  
“It can’t be… No, impossible…!” Sojiro muttered breathlessly.  
“Umm, hello?” Sae came through the cafe door, Ren in tow.  
He had his arm around her shoulder, and it looked like she was supporting most of his weight. He could barely walk.  
“Wh- you?!” Sojiro whipped around, stunned to see the two of them. “B- but, how…?! You’re alive?!”  
“I’ll explain everything later,” Sae interrupted. “For now, just take Ren and hide him, keep him safe. I have to return to the prosecutor’s office but I’ll be back as soon as I finish tying up a few loose ends!”  
With that, she transferred the barely conscious leader of the Phantom Thieves over to Sojiro and ran back out.  
“H- hang on!” Sojiro called. “What on earth-”  
But she was already gone. Sojiro sighed. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.  
“Jesus… What did they do to you?” he turned his attention to Ren.  
Now that he got a better look at him, the poor kid was bruised from head to toe. His leg was bent a little strangely, and it was clear that Ren was on his last legs. Literally. The boy breathed shallowly and his head hung limp, but still somehow he managed to work up the strength to raise his head and smile.  
“Honey, I’m home.”

\- - -

Sojiro hauled Ren up to his room and gingerly placed him on his bed. From there he ran and got a first aid kit. He called the doctor at the local clinic and told her it was an emergency. Takemi already knew Ren’s secret. She said she would be right over. In the meantime, Sojiro tried his best to make Ren comfortable. He took off his blazer and shoes, and pulled a blanket over him. He fluffed his pillow and then brought him a glass of water.  
“Th- thanks, Sojiro…” Ren blushed in embarrassment.  
“...Don’t mention it.”  
How dare they treat him like this? How dare the police so brutally beat a mere child, a minor?! Sojiro tried to calm himself down, but couldn’t. In the past six months, Ren had become almost like a second child to him. He saw a bit of himself in Ren, and it hurt more than he could say to see his ‘son’ like this. Nonetheless, there was nothing more the older man could do, so Sojiro pulled up a chair and settled for watching the boy instead.  
The familiar chime of the bell rung as the door to Leblanc opened.  
“I got here as soon as I could! You said it was some kinda emergency?” Takemi ran up the stairs. “N- no… Ren?!”  
She rushed over to him and immediately checked his pulse.  
“What happened? What did they do to you?! I’d heard the leader of the Phantom Thieves was captured but I never imagined…!”  
“Looks pretty bad, huh?” Sojiro cleared his throat. “Please, doc, you gotta help him.”  
“I’ll do what I can, but first you have to tell me what’s wrong with him.”  
Sojiro shrugged, “That’s just it, I dunno. Obviously he’s been beaten up pretty badly. I think they might’ve drugged him, too. He was really lethargic and had a difficult time standing up when he was brought here.”  
“I see… Let me run a couple of blood tests.” Takemi set down her purse and opened up her doctor’s bag. “Thank god he’s alive, although his breathing’s a little shallow. When I’d heard he committed suicide, I knew it couldn’t be true but…”  
“It scared ya all the same, right? Same thing happened to me, when I first heard the news,” Sojiro took out a cigarette and lit it.  
Takemi scowled, “You know that stuff’ll kill you, right? At the very least take it outside, so you don’t accidentally burn the whole place down.”  
“Fine fine, I can take a hint! Just give me a call when you’re done, okay?” Sojiro left.  
“Dammit Ren… what have you gotten yourself into?” Takemi cursed under her breath.  
Gently she rolled up his sleeve, getting a better look at all the bruises underneath. God! Now where could she take a sample causing him the least amount of discomfort? Takemi took a syringe out of her bag.  
“Mmm… Takemi?” Ren opened his eyes and looked at her blearily.  
“Ah, you’re awake. Hold still, don’t try to move.”  
She placed the needle against his arm. Ren flinched and instinctively grabbed her wrist. This surprised Takemi, causing her to gasp.  
“What did they do to you…? Don’t worry, Ren, I won’t hurt you. I just need to take a little blood sample.”  
Reluctantly, Ren let go of her arm.  
“You’ll feel a slight prick...”  
Takemi drew blood and put it into a small vial.  
“I’m going to take this to the clinic and run a few tests. Good thing I’ve got your medical files on record, huh? I’ll be right back.”  
Takemi informed Sojiro and walked back to the clinic. Just as promised, a few minutes later she returned.  
“So? How is he, doc?” Sojiro once again sat in the chair across from Ren.  
He put out his cigarette.  
“There are moderate levels of pentothal in his blood. Not lethal, but still we should keep an eye on him. In particular, we need to monitor his heart rate and breathing. With pentothal there is a danger of cardiovascular depression as well as obstructed breathing.”  
“Uhh, in Japanese, please?”  
“Basically, keep an eye on his breathing and pulse. If there are any changes, don’t hesitate to call me. Now, let’s have a look at the rest of his body…”  
Much to Ren’s embarrassment, Sojiro had to remove all his clothes so that he was left only in his underwear. His only saving grace was that Sojiro was a guy. Takemi checked him from head to toe, occasionally pressing lightly on a bruise to test it, which of course caused Ren to wince.  
“Sorry,” Takemi apologized each time she did.  
“I- It’s fine…” Ren gritted his teeth and bore it.  
“Well, good news and bad news,” she finished examining him.  
“What’s the verdict?” Sojiro withdrew his hands from his pockets.  
“It’s mostly just a bunch of little cuts and bruises. There’s a pretty big bruise on his upper left thigh which might interfere with his ability to walk for a little while. He may walk kinda funny for a little while as a result.”  
“Okay. What else?”  
“There are some rather large bruises on his stomach and face. I’m guessing they must’ve punched and/or kicked him pretty hard in those places.The cuts are superficial, so no need for stitches. What else…?”  
Takemi tapped her pen on her lips. She looked up at Sojiro.  
“I suppose, apart from all that, there’s the matter of the pentothal running through his veins. It will likely cause temporary amnesia, and it will make him very tired. He might also experience a bit of nausea and lightheadedness. Just make sure that he doesn’t stop breathing and also doesn’t fall down and hurt himself. Aside from those things, there’s not much more I can do. I could prescribe some painkillers, but I’d rather wait until that drug is out of his system, just to be safe. He’s a bit dehydrated, too. In short, it’s plenty of fluids and bedrest.”  
“Alright, sounds easy enough. Can you patch him up?”  
“Yeah. First though, I recommend a bath.”  
“A bath?” Sojiro asked. “Why?”  
“It’ll help to ease the muscle aches. Plus, he’s kind of covered in grime.”  
“Fair enough. Alright, come on Ren. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Sojiro pulled Ren up.  
Ren groaned, but Sojiro forced him back to the cafe owner’s house.

 

\- -- - 

On the bright side, Sojiro at least allowed Ren to bathe himself. He was at least allowed to retain that tiny shred of dignity. He knocked on the door often, just to make sure Ren hadn’t passed out in the bathtub. When the teenager was done drying off and changing into his pajamas, Sojiro opened the door. He brought Ren back to Leblanc where Takemi was waiting.  
“Ah, took you long enough.”  
“Sorry…” Ren muttered.  
Truly, he was exhausted. He didn’t even have the energy to make his usual sarcastic quips. Takemi’s eyes widened.  
She shook her head and smiled, “It’s fine. Don’t apologize.”  
Ren all but collapsed onto his bed. Takemi pulled a blanket up over him and told him to get some rest.  
On her way out the door she turned to Sojiro, “Remember: don’t hesitate to call me if his condition changes. He’ll be somewhat lethargic for awhile, what with that drug in his system. Mostly he just needs time to heal and for the pentothal to leave his body.”  
Takemi handed her card to Sojiro and left. Sojiro looked at it briefly before pocketing it. Then, once again he took a seat by Ren’s bedside. Already the youth had drifted off into a deep slumber. Sojiro smiled at his ward’s peaceful sleeping expression.

\-- - - 

“But you have to let us see him!” Futaba cried.  
Sojiro shook his head, “Not now, he’s resting. Come back later when he’s awake.”  
Yusuke piped up, “Surely it wouldn’t hurt for us to simply see him? We promise we’ll be quiet.”  
“Yeah! We’ll be real quiet! Besides, we really wanna see him… we’ve all been really worried about him, you know?” Ann added.  
Sojiro sighed and scratched the back of his head, “Fine… just, don’t disturb him, alright?”  
“We promise!” Ryuji grinned.  
“Perhaps we could even take turns looking after him? Taking care of him all by yourself has to be exhausting…” Haru smiled sweetly at the coffee house owner.  
“Well… alright,” Sojiro said, surprised. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt… And I could use the help.”  
“Yes!” Ann cheered.  
Quietly, the Phantom Thieves took the stairs up to Ren’s room.  
“Let us spend the night here. It shall be like one big sleepover,” Yusuke gestured.  
“Sounds good to me,” Makoto brushed back a brown lock of hair.

\- - -


	2. A Special Massage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow that title makes it sound more inappropriate than it actually is. XD Anyway, here's part 2 of the fanfic! Thanks so much to everybody that supported me, you inspired me to keep going! Originally I was going to scrap it because I thought this wasn't very good but thanks to one comment I decided to keep going with it as is! That being said, this chapter focuses mostly on our favorite teacher, Kawakami! If you squint there's a bit of Joker x Kawakami, but very mild. Still, I put the underage tag just to be safe. Lots of fluff in this chapter, less emphasis on the hurt. Also, I elaborate a bit on Ren's past and explore the implications of said past. Obviously not canon, but more like my explanation for why the protagonist of Persona 5 is the way he is. Enjoy!

Quietly, the Phantom Thieves took the stairs up to Ren’s room.  
Inside lay sleeping leader of the Phantom Thieves. A few of them quietly gasped at the sight of their beaten down, broken leader.  
“This is just…” Ann covered her mouth with her hand, tearing up. “This is just inhumane…!”  
“Those bastards!” Ryuji hissed under his breath.  
“How could they…?” Makoto took a step backwards, biting back tears.  
“Those monsters!” Futaba also begun to cry.  
“Truly abominable…” Yusuke chimed in.  
Makoto wiped her eyes and turned to the group, “Come on, let’s find a place to sit quietly while we wait for him to wake up.”  
The others nodded in agreement and soon they were all huddled around the little table in Ren’s room. They borrowed a couple stools from downstairs and sat on the couch; Sojiro decided he wasn’t going to open the cafe tomorrow anyway. A couple anxious hours passed while the group talked quietly and played some cards, trying desperately to get their minds off the current state of their leader. Finally, at around 3 am, Ren awoke.  
“Ah, he’s awake!” Morgana cried, leaning over the teenage boy.  
“Mmm… huh?” Ren opened his eyes.  
“You’re awake!”  
“Thank goodness you’re alright!”  
“Welcome back.”  
The rest of the Phantom Thieves chorused, directing their attention towards him.  
“How are you feeling?” Ann asked tentatively.  
Ren didn’t have the energy to lie, “...Like hell.”  
“Poor thing…” Haru wiped a tear from one of her eyes. “Is there anything we can do for you? Anything to make you more comfortable?”  
“I- I could make you some tea!” Futaba volunteered.  
Ren lightly smiled, “No, it’s alright. Thank you though.”  
Truth be told, he was feeling rather embarrassed. A leader was someone who was supposed to be strong, somebody who never showed weakness or asked for help from others. It was really embarrassing to be seen now, in such a vulnerable state, by all his friends. Not to mention, Ren felt a bit guilty about making his friends all worry. He wondered what that might do to their morale. All in all, he wished Sojiro hadn’t allowed them to see him. But now they were here, and there was nothing he could do.  
“Um, I hope it’s alright, but I took the liberty of informing some of your contacts you were still alive. They seemed awfully worried about you and from the sounds of it they already know your identity,” Haru shifted in her seat.  
“I see… thank you,” Ren nodded, still a bit lightheaded and tired from the drugs in his system.  
He truly was grateful, too. He had worried what Kawakami and the others might think if they’d heard news of his suicide. He feared his non-Phantom Thief friends might be very upset. A moment of awkward silence passed between them.  
Yusuke was the next to speak, “I…er, I’m glad to see you’re alive.”  
Ren again nodded, but this time he couldn’t help but let out a tiny squeak as his body protested against even this small movement. His friends looked at him, a mixture of concern and pity in their eyes. He hated this.  
“So, uh, how have you been?” Haru averted her gaze self-consciously.  
“Ghostly,” Ren said, trying to lighten the mood.  
A few of them chuckled but they were pained, forced chuckles.  
“How have you all been? No one got hurt after I was captured, right?”  
Leave it to Ren to worry about his teammates even when he was the one confined to a bed, greatly injured.  
“We’re fine, you shouldn’t worry about us!” Ann put on her best fake smile, attempting to ease Ren’s concern. “You just need to focus on resting and getting better yourself!”  
“She’s right, man. You really do look like hell,” Ryuji leaned back, crossing his arms. “I swear, we’re gonna make whoever did this to you pay…!”  
Ren shook his head, “No, don’t. Let’s just focus on Akechi and Shido for now.”  
But just then Ren lapsed into a coughing fit, each cough causing him to convulse and his body to seize up in pain. The Phantom Thieves watched helplessly.  
“Drink some water,” Morgana nudged the glass of water on Ren’s nightstand closer to him.  
Shakily, he did.  
Suddenly they all heard a knock, “Hello? May I come in?”  
It was Kawakami! She was standing there, dressed in her regular clothes, knocking on Ren’s bedroom door frame.  
“Teach?! What are you doing here?!” Ryuji sputtered.  
“Don’t be like that!” Kawakami accidentally shouted. Then, lowering her voice, “I came to see Ren. I wanted to see for myself that he was alright.”  
Ryuji and the others looked at Ren. Ren slowly nodded.  
They parted to allow Kawakami in, and she gasped at the sight before her.  
“No…! How could they?!” she stuttered.  
“Hello, Kawakami-sensei,” Ren forced himself to smile, not wanting to worry her anymore than he already had.  
“Please, there’s no need to be so formal. Just call me Kawakami! That aside, look at you! You’re a total mess!”  
“I guess so…”  
“You guess?!”  
Ren sheepishly grinned.  
“You poor thing, you’re bruised from head to toe…” Kawakami sighed, looking her student up and down.  
“It’s nothing,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. It’s a small price to pay for the sake of the Phantom Thieves. At least I’m still alive.”  
“Quit trying to play the tough guy!” Ryuji suddenly yelled.  
Ren jumped a little. Everybody turned to him with wide eyes.  
“Sorry, it’s just… It’s just that I can’t stand to see you hurt and still acting like everything’s fine! Come on, let us take care of you! It’s okay to cry!” Tears now welled up in Ryuji’s eyes.  
Ann stared at the blonde, “Ryuji…” she whispered.  
Ryuji’s fists were clenched and he was looking down at the floor, his eyes shut tight. Against his earlier advice, he was desperately trying not to cry.  
“...Sorry…” Ren closed his eyes, taking in his friend’s pain.  
He just didn’t want to worry them. He didn’t want to burden them with his pain, with his problems. He thought that a good leader should stand tall, even when everybody else around him is falling apart. He wanted to be a good role model for them, to give them confidence when that was all they lacked.  
Besides that, Ren hadn’t been completely honest with his friends, either. It wasn’t that he’d lied to any of them, per se, but he hadn’t been entirely open, either. While he knew all about their pasts and present problems, they knew nothing of his. They knew nothing of the boy who was forced to grow up quickly and fend for himself. They knew nothing of the kid who often came home to an empty house and his parents who, even when they were there, weren’t really there.  
“...I have an idea,” Kawakami broke the silence that was threatening to strangle them. “Everybody leave the room.”  
“Huh? But why?” Makoto asked.  
“Just do it. Please.”  
As ordered, everybody but Kawakami filed out of the room. Everybody but Morgana, who stealthily stayed behind, hiding behind the fake ramen bowl and swanboat on the bookshelf.  
“What are you going to do?” Ren stared up at Kawakami, perplexed.  
“I’m going to give you a massage!” she beamed.  
“A… massage?”  
“Yes! I’m quite good at it, actually! I studied at Victoria’s!”  
Ren wasn’t certain about this. He felt a bit flustered. His face turned red.  
“I… I dunno…”  
“Come on… please? I promise, it’ll help ease any soreness and muscle aches!”  
“I… I guess…”  
Truth be told, Ren was somewhat aversive to being touched. It wasn’t so much that he disliked it as that he just plain wasn’t used to it. His parents had never hugged him much growing up.  
“Okay… roll over,” Kawakami instructed.  
Ren did as he was told, although it was somewhat painful.  
Kawakami removed the blanket and slowly began kneading between his shoulder blades.  
“Let me know if I’m hurting you, alright?”  
“Mmhm…” Ren closed his eyes.  
At first, he started when Kawakami touched him. Partially because it hurt, but also partially because it was awkward for him. Slowly but surely, however, Ren eased into Kawakami’s gentle but firm touch.  
This actually… feels pretty good… he thought.  
Ren closed his eyes, inadvertently letting out a small sigh of relief. Kawakami smirked bemusedly, leaning slightly more into the boy’s back.  
“So stiff… and yet, you’re so toned. How did you manage to get so toned, Master?” Kawakami playfully teased.  
Ren blushed but said nothing.  
“Only kidding. I suppose your Phantom Thief work must keep you pretty in-shape, huh?” Kawakami continued to massage his shoulder blades.  
Next she moved on to the small of his back. Any tension Ren had had before this was steadily flowing out of him. He couldn’t help but melt beneath Kawakami’s hands. It was a feeling he’d never truly felt before. Ren always had his guard up, even when he wasn’t in the Metaverse. Part of that came with the territory of being a Phantom Thief, but part of it also stemmed back to his own childhood. He’d learned early on not to trust anyone, to rely only on himself.  
“How’s this? Are you feeling any better?”  
“Y- yeah…” Ren muttered, again getting flustered.  
Kawakami did this for the rest of Ren’s body, too. His hands, his feet… all got massaged. It really did work, just as she said. Ren felt some of the pain from his repeated beatings go away, along with the deep sense of muscle ache and stiffness that went along with it.  
Without really meaning to, Ren wound up dozing off. It just felt so good and relaxing that before the boy knew it, he was fast asleep. Kawakami smiled, not at all offended.  
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she sighed, finishing.  
She took a moment to regard her student’s sleeping form. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. She smiled once more and headed towards the stairs, heels clicking as she walked. She was happy she could help him. Now he just needed rest. That was what his body most needed right now. Rest.

**Author's Note:**

> In the game it's never specified what drug they used on Ren, other than calling a truth serum. Doing a bit of research, one of the more common "truth serums" used is Pentothal. So I basically went off of that and looked up some of the symptoms and side effects of it! Sorry if I got anything wrong or if I'm forgetting to mention something, it's late at night and I'm really tired lol. Hopefully you enjoyed, I plan on posting more chapters in the future! Also apologies for the generic, cliche title, I couldn't think of anything better! Maybe I'll change it if I can think of something cooler sounding later.


End file.
